Acousmos vs Typeless
Two AI dictation tools with the same promise — speak naturally, get clean text — and a different answer to one question: whose computer does your voice run on?
Typeless is a cloud-based dictation tool that covers macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android; everything runs on its cloud and its AI providers. Acousmos is Mac-only and built for ownership: run transcription through your own API keys or fully local, offline models, and keep every word in a permanent, searchable archive on your Mac. Breadth vs ownership — that's the real choice.
Side by side
| Acousmos | Typeless | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | macOS (Apple Silicon) | macOS · Windows · iOS · Android |
| Where transcription runs | Managed cloud, your own keys, or fully local | Cloud only |
| Works offline | Yes — local models (Pro) | No |
| Bring your own API keys | Yes (Pro) | No |
| Permanent searchable voice archive | Core feature — audio + text, local, exportable | On-device history |
| AI clean-up & formatting | Built-in styles + per-app routing | Built-in, per-app tones |
| Custom dictionary | Yes, with auto-learning | Yes |
| Languages | 100+ · deep EN/中文 incl. IME handling | 100+ languages |
| Free option | 1-month full Pro trial, no card | Free tier 8,000 words/week + 30-day Pro trial |
| Price | Plus $12.99/mo · Pro $17.99/mo — 2 Macs included | Pro $12/mo billed yearly · $30/mo monthly |
Typeless details from typeless.com (pricing and privacy pages), July 2026. Corrections welcome: support@acousmos.com.
Beyond the table, Acousmos also ships: per-app smart routing, a Playground for comparing AI styles and engines side by side, translation mode, usage stats, snippets, and a three-layer custom dictionary that learns from your edits. Every paid plan covers 2 Macs.
Their cloud, or your Mac.
Trust model
Every Typeless dictation transits its cloud and its third-party AI providers, and the tool stops working when the network does. Acousmos offers the same managed-cloud convenience if you want it, plus two exits Typeless doesn't have: route everything through your own provider keys, or run fully local models where audio never leaves the machine at all.
Disposable text vs an archive
Typeless keeps an on-device history of your dictations. Acousmos goes further and treats your voice as an asset: every dictation — original audio and text — lands in a permanent, full-text-searchable archive on your Mac, in an open format you can export anytime, kept forever whether or not you stay subscribed. Years of your thinking, searchable in seconds.
Where Typeless is genuinely stronger
Platform reach — Windows, iPhone, and Android apps that Acousmos doesn't have — plus a permanent free tier. If you need dictation on every device, that is a need Acousmos doesn't cover.
Questions.
Does Typeless work offline?
No. Typeless processes speech on its cloud servers; there is no offline or local-model mode. Acousmos Pro can run fully local models that work offline, including in airplane mode.
Can I use my own API keys with Typeless?
As of July 2026, Typeless does not offer a bring-your-own-keys option — transcription and AI processing run through its managed cloud and third-party AI providers. Acousmos Pro lets you route inference through your own provider keys, or skip the cloud entirely with local models.
Which should I choose?
Choose Typeless if you dictate across Windows, iPhone, or Android. Choose Acousmos if you are on a Mac and want ownership: local or bring-your-own-keys processing, no dependence on someone else's cloud, and a permanent searchable archive of everything you say, stored on your machine.
Is Acousmos a good Typeless alternative?
For Mac users, yes: Acousmos adds what Typeless doesn't offer — offline local models, bring-your-own-keys, and a permanent archive that keeps audio alongside text, searchable forever. The one-month Pro trial makes it easy to run Acousmos as a full Typeless replacement for a few days before deciding. If you dictate across Windows, iPhone, or Android, Typeless covers devices Acousmos doesn't.
One month of Pro, free.
No signup, no card. Or compare speech-to-text engines with your own voice in Arena first.